The Gift of Friendship
by natasha0
Summary: Set during Mars vs Mars. Logan and Veronica remember when they did exchange friendship bracelets.


_Present day_

Veronica looks up from the tabloid in her hands, enjoying the verbal sparring match she's in the middle of with Logan until she sees the genuine hope lighting his eyes.

Her voice soft, she looks at Logan with concern reminiscent of a girl in pink fuzzy sweaters with long golden hair. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up."

Confused by Veronica's latest hot and cold behaviour, Logan reacts in the only way he knows will protect him and dons his familiar anger. He answers harshly, "I'm not paying you to worry about my hopes. I'm paying you to follow leads."

The concern disappears instantly, and Veronica's businesslike mask takes over although she can't actually bring herself to be angry. She understands the desperation of wanting your mommy back. "I wasn't aware you were paying me."

Logan is all anxiety and ire, gesticulating wildly as he speaks. "This isn't a favour, it's a job, you know. I mean, we're not exchanging friendship bracelets."

In that infinitesimal fraction of a second, it doesn't matter that the words from their bickering – conversation, business meeting – continue to flow from their mouths, discussing the merits of the truths behind tabloid stories. Their eyes lock ever so briefly and the memories of shared Christmases and birthdays play out practically visibly in the space between them.

_Veronica turns thirteen_

Twelve year-old Veronica, though in no way poor when compared to your average American family, was at a serious financial disadvantage when measured against the family income of the 09ers. It wasn't her fault that her best friends included the kids of multimillionaire software moguls and movie stars. All she knew was that, come gift-giving time, she felt decidedly inferior in her abilities to give her friends suitable presents.

Up until her twelfth birthday, the gifts Veronica gave were always lower-priced than those she received, but since they mostly involved Barbies and board games, she was at least secure in the knowledge that her gifts were in the realm of normal. OK, so she couldn't buy Lilly that year's collectable Barbie, but she could handle the latest Astronaut Barbie or the equivalent.

All of that changed when she turned thirteen. Too old for Barbies and board games, gifts took on the themes of fashion and accessories. Everything that was considered good enough was both expensive and extravagant. Veronica had asked her mom not to throw her a birthday party that year and Lianne, disappointed, tried for weeks to change her daughter's mind. But the last thing Veronica wanted was for her friends to attend a DIY boy/girl party, full of balloons and a homemade cake, in her (comparatively) tiny backyard. Not when the parties she had already attended included chichi pool parties at the club or movie theaters rented out privately for the event, complete with cast meet and greet. No, Veronica certainly couldn't have that. Instead, she assured her mother that all she wanted that year was a more mature, quiet affair ("I'm a teenager now!"), sleeping over at Lilly's. And if Duncan and the new kid, Logan, would also be around, well, so be it. They seemed like fun, and Lilly could always tell them to get lost if they got in the way of girl-time.

It turned out to be Veronica's best birthday yet. Lilly had gotten her her first Chanel purse ("Oh stop it, 'Ronica! You needed that purse and you know it! Celeste won't even notice it on her credit card bill."), and even Duncan and Logan had chipped in and gotten her a leather bound photo album ("I, uh, noticed you liked to take pictures. Duncan told me you always have your camera around. You should, uh, have a place to put them."). Lilly found the key to the liquor cabinet and they sat up all night daring each other to take sips of the alcohol ("Enough, guys! My dad's the Sheriff! If he found out we were drinking he'd kill me!"), watching movies ("What do you mean you haven't seen _Goonies_, Duncan?") and laughing at each other's stories ("Yeah, well, my dad said the schools were better here than LA. He'll miss being there though. I give it a month, and then he'll be gone on some movie shoot or something."). From that night, the Fab Four was born. Best birthday gift ever.

_First Fab Four Christmas_

A few months later, Veronica sat in her room trying desperately to come up with viable Christmas gift options for her friends. She flipped through magazine after magazine, catalogue after catalogue, searching for three perfect items that best represented Lilly, Duncan and Logan and that she could possibly afford. Really, she knew that the last thing any of them needed was the latest fashion thingamajig or electronic whozit. They bought those at the drop of a hat, without even a passing thought to the price (_must be nice_). Sitting up, Veronica threw aside the latest _Cosmo_, realizing that buying the gifts wasn't the way to go. That left making something herself. It couldn't be cheap looking, so macaroni necklaces and papier-mache covered treasure boxes were not going to work either. Glancing at the photo album on her desk, she had an idea.

That Christmas, each of the Fab Four received a framed picture of the gang. Individually chosen based on some memory it evoked about the receiver, Veronica personally autographed them with an inside joke. She might not be able to _buy_ the perfect gift, but she sure could _create_ one. For years after, the frames sat in their owner's rooms. Lilly's gathered dust on her dresser, untouched in her room until it was packed away by the moving company, years after her death. Duncan's traveled three continents until he had to leave everything behind one day, escaping the FBI by mere hours with baby Lilly in Tuscany. Logan's could be found in his room even after the rupture, tucked towards the back of a high shelf, placed just so it was visible in his eye line when he lay in bed at night. Not that he ever looked there, of course. That frame disappeared eventually too, burned to ashes along with all of Logan's other tangible memories.

_Logan turns thirteen_

Spring came, and with it Logan's thirteenth birthday. Lilly called her personal shopper at Saks' and told her to pick out something that a rich thirteen year-old boy wouldn't have yet. Duncan and Veronica rolled their eyes at each other, well used to the amount of thought Lilly put into her gifts. Duncan announced that he'd gotten his best friend the perfect present: the latest Tony Hawk skateboard. Lilly and Veronica rolled their eyes in turn. Boys and their toys. Lilly turned to Veronica and asked her what she was getting Logan. Trying to act nonchalant, Veronica kept her eyes closed while she lay in the sun so they couldn't see her embarrassment. "Not sure yet, but I'll think of something." She didn't want to hear any comments from the peanut gallery about her choice.

That weekend at Logan's party, Veronica drew him aside to give him his present. The last thing she wanted was for all of their friends to see that she had to lower herself to _making_ a gift (shudder). But really, she was pretty happy with how it turned out. She had spent hours searching for just the right shell on the beach to weave into the bracelet. It had taken three different stores to find the right shades of brown, green and gold twine that would match the exact colors in his eyes. Logan accepted the small box, a little confused, but his smile was genuine when he opened it. Relief flooded through Veronica as she tied the friendship bracelet onto his wrist. "Thanks, Ronnie. It's great." Both blushing furiously, they escaped in different directions.

_Veronica turns fourteen_

The week before Veronica's fourteenth birthday, Logan was trying to decide on her birthday present and thought back to a conversation that they all had the previous month, sitting around the pool. Lilly had been going on about how, obviously, the more extravagant the gift the better it was. What good was being rich if you didn't buy expensive things and wear expensive clothes? Duncan thought the best gifts were electronics, like computer or video games, especially if they hadn't been released yet. Logan had noticed that Veronica stayed quiet through it all. He went and sat next to her by the pool, feet dangling in the water. "What about you, Mars? What kind of gifts do you like, seeing as your birthday's next?" He nudged her shoulder with his own. Veronica looked up at him, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Doesn't matter to me what it costs. It's the thought that counts, not the size." Logan looked at her appraisingly. "Yeah, it needs to mean something." Veronica smiled at him, relieved that he understood. He smiled back, gave her a slight nod, and cut off Lilly's rant admonishing Veronica's taste in presents by taking the nearby empty cup, filling it with water, and throwing it at Lilly's sunbathing figure.

That birthday, Veronica received her own framed picture of the Fab Four from Logan. It was a snapshot taken that afternoon, post-water fight, the four of them soaked and in hysterics, with the inscription: _Because you should have one too, and it's the thought that counts_. That framed photo, the last of the original four, would one day be displayed amongst the myriad of photos of friends and family on the wall in Logan and Veronica's den.

_The Christmas she started the tradition_

By that Christmas, the game had changed somewhat. Logan and Lilly had been dating for about three months, and Lilly had been trying to convince Veronica that Duncan was in love with her while simultaneously trying to convince her brother that he actually was. The girls were Christmas shopping, and Lilly thought Veronica should get Duncan something "girlfriend-y" ("Fake it till you make it, Veronica Mars!") even though Veronica was adamant that Lilly was crazy. They had just emerged from Victoria's Secret, where Lilly had picked up a little "somethin' somethin' " for Logan. Veronica, scandalized at Lilly's purchase, refused to acknowledge her best friend's chatter about how Logan was going to explode when he saw her in his gift. Veronica's Christmas gifts were already wrapped and stored away in her closet. She had made Duncan and Lilly their own friendship bracelets similar to Logan's, with their own individually chosen charms woven in. For Duncan, she had chosen blues and turquoises, like his room, with a piece of fossilized wood weaved in. For Lilly, she had made a bright purple, pink and red bracelet, and a matching one for herself. She had found some fabulous pieces of sea glass washed up in the sand onto which she had etched the letters B-F-F. Despite Lilly's love of expensive gifts, Veronica knew that she had been a little jealous of Logan's bracelet and would really love her own. Into each band, she had woven one string from the others' bracelets (she had asked Logan for his back, to make the adjustment). It seemed fitting, a symbol of how their lives would always be intertwined. Since Logan already had a bracelet, she gave him her well-loved copy of _Pride and Prejudice_, complete with notes in the margins. They had been reading it in English, right after finishing _Catcher in the Rye_, and the two of them had spent hours over the last few weeks debating "girl" lit and "boy" lit. Every chance they got, they started the discussion again. Duncan sat in rapt silence as they sparred and snarked, considered and debated. Lilly just rolled her eyes and huffed in boredom, doing everything she could to turn the conversation away from those stupid books and onto herself ("The only book worth studying is the _Kama Sutra_, isn't that right, baby?"). On the front page of the book, Veronica had inscribed "To our very own Holden Caulfield, may you one day learn to overcome your pride and realize that Veronica Mars is always right." Logan guffawed when he unwrapped his gift, and was damn near in hysterics when he read the inscription. Completely confused, the other three stared at him rolling around in the sand under the twinkle light decorated blow up palm tree. He tossed his gift to Veronica while trying to catch his breath. She opened the box and found his early edition of Catcher in the Rye. Opening the cover, she read "To Ronnie, Holden will trump Lizzie Bennett every time."

_Logan turns fourteen_

Logan turned fourteen the following spring. He and Lilly had been on and off again three times by that point (currently off), and Veronica was exhausted trying to navigate the politics of her best friends' relationship. Duncan, always quiet and stoic, just silently stood aside and let them fight it out. Veronica couldn't do that, it wasn't in her nature to stand idly by while her friends – family, really- were so unhappy. So, for Logan's fourteenth birthday, she meticulously planned his party at the Kanes', right down to convincing Lilly that the games she was playing this time were stupid, and that she should just make up with Logan already so that he could have a happy birthday. Lilly, convinced that the whole thing was her idea and that she had fully intended to forgive Logan anyway, disappeared with him for well over an hour during the party. When they came back from wherever they had been—Lilly looking smug and Logan a little dazed—Veronica looked over at them, proud that her plan had apparently worked so well. A little later that night, she sat next to Logan on the low wall surrounding the pool and handed him a small, brightly wrapped package. Inside, he found a bookmark-sized piece of worked leather. Branded into one side were the words: "A true friend is someone who knows how crazy you are and is still willing to be seen in public with you."

Veronica looked over at him. "She might be my best friend, but she's an idiot. I hope I've made her see that this time, but even if not, I'll always be your friend too." Logan slung an arm around her shoulders, kissed her on both cheeks with a giant MWAH-MWAH in thanks, and sat with her in companionable silence for a few minutes before Lilly came over and broke their peacefulness with her raucous exuberance.

_Veronica turns fifteen_

The lead up to Veronica's fifteenth birthday was filled with angst. Lilly had finally convinced her of Duncan's devotion, and now she spent most of her time wondering why he wasn't asking her out and (over)analyzing their every conversation. Thank goodness that he had gone with Logan up to LA for the month while Mr. Echolls was filming there. She needed a break from all the drama, even if it meant that they were only the Fab Two over her birthday. Lilly hosted an all-girls sleepover with ten of their closest friends, and it was a fabulous night of makeovers, movies and dancing.

Just after midnight, Veronica's phone buzzed with a text from Logan: On the chair in Duncan's room. Faking a trip to the bathroom, Veronica ran down the hall to Duncan's door and stopped dead, nervous to be invading his privacy. It took her a full minute to convince herself that he wouldn't mind, that she'd been in his room a thousand times, and that Logan would never have sent her there if Duncan cared. Finally, she pushed open his door and slipped into the bedroom. She switched on the desk lamp and looked around. Tucked into a winged-back chair was a small gift bag with a unicorn on it. Smiling, Veronica hurried over and pulled out the card written in Logan's neat handwriting (_honestly, for a guy he had excellent penmanship_) telling her that he had been shopping with his mom in a vintage store in LA, saw the gift and thought of her. She rifled through the white tissue paper and found a beautiful rhinestone hairclip covered in blue gems that gave the illusion of a multitude of butterflies. She kept staring dumbstruck at the beautiful piece until her phone buzzed again So? Didja find it? Clipping it into her hair, she took a quick picture of herself, a wide smile on her face, the blue of her eyes set off by the color of the clip. Logan texted back almost immediately Yup, I knew it! I'm a genius! Happy birthday, Mars!

_The Christmas the tradition continued_

By Christmas the next year, Veronica's friendship bracelets were a little the worse for wear. Determined, she collected them all from her friends, pulled them to pieces, and created new bracelets using some of the old twine and charms—to maintain continuity. These new bracelets were woven into a more complex pattern than the old ones had been, and as her friends unwrapped their presents at midnight on the beach, lit palm tree nearby, Veronica explained that every year she planned to take the old bracelets and turn them into new ones, always including pieces of the old. That way, just like their friendship, the bracelets would continue to evolve, but still have the cornerstones of their past built in. The three ribbed her a little for her sentimentality, but no one could really object to the feeling behind it. They toasted to their friendship with the smuggled bottle of Champagne Logan had brought, sure that they had many years of bracelets ahead of them.

_Logan turns fifteen_

What the hell could she get for a fifteen year old Logan? Veronica had been so wrapped up in her new relationship with Duncan that Logan's birthday just crept up on her out of nowhere. Disappointed in herself for her lack of thoughtfulness, Veronica stared at her babysitting money, desperately trying to figure out something appropriate. Lilly had gotten him this awesome pukka shell necklace when she was in Hawaii that was a perfect fit for the new surfer image he had going on. She thought maybe surfboard wax, or some other random surf item, but that was just so impersonal. _Think, Veronica, think_. She grabbed her money and headed down to the boardwalk, hoping something there would catch her eye.

Scouring the shops and stalls, she couldn't find anything that seemed right. Dejected and feeling guilty for having put this off for so long, Veronica was leaning on the railing staring out over the ocean when suddenly she felt raindrops splattering on her back. She squealed and turned around to find Logan standing there in his board shorts, flinging water from his hair at her. He'd been enjoying some birthday surfing when he saw her determinedly searching through the stores. Unwilling to tell him what she was doing there, Veronica grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the ice cream truck to distract him with a birthday sundae. They walked along eating their ice cream until they reached the midway games. The trash talking began, and they spent the next hour losing some of Veronica's babysitting money trying to get the damn frog onto the lily pad and the ring around the bottleneck. The hilarity was worth every penny of lost cash. Spotting a stand with crazy hats next to a photo booth, Veronica selected a unicorn hat and Logan a tiger, and they spent their remaining few dollars on a couple of strips of silly pictures. At the end of their impromptu afternoon, Veronica apologized to Logan for not getting him a decent birthday present. Holding up his hat and strip of pictures, he looked at her like she was crazy, told her to shut up, and walked her home.

_Veronica turns sixteen_

Veronica's 16th birthday party was a complete surprise. Lord knows how Lilly managed to keep anything a secret, let alone the party of the summer for her best friend. Some of the planning definitely held traces of Logan, although nothing he scheduled started until after her parents left, her dad giving Logan the side eye as he walked away. Duncan, ever the gallant boyfriend, saw the look, walked over to her dad and assured him that he'd take care to keep his sister and her crazy boyfriend in line; Veronica would be completely safe with him. Sheriff Mars looked at Duncan's outstretched hand and then back up at his face. Raising an eyebrow, he simply said, "See that you do, son" and walked away. The rest of the night was full of dancing, cocktails and laughter. As he promised, Duncan kept most of Logan's more outrageous shenanigans to a minimum, and the guests left the four alone by about 3am.

Finally provided with a little privacy, Lilly, Duncan and Logan brought out their gifts for Veronica. Duncan's consisted of small diamond stud earrings, a perfectly respectable boyfriend gift that earned him a sweet smile and a chaste kiss. Lilly's was revealed to be a beautiful diamond star pendant necklace and matching leather choker. Lilly claimed it represented both the sweet side (star necklace) and badass side (leather choker) of Veronica. What she didn't admit was that she had gone shopping with Logan, wanting her BFF's sweet sixteen present to be the "Best. Gift. Evah". Originally Lilly had planned on getting her friend a sexy red string bikini as a representation of her inner badass; Logan had talked her down and suggested the choker instead. He knew very well that Ronnie would (sadly) never wear the barely there swimsuit. The choker, though, well, it showed just the right amount of tough for the group's closet firecracker. Logan's gift (the one his name was actually on) was unexpected in its simplicity. Logan had put together a mixed CD of songs from the last four years. Each one was carefully chosen, and he had selected a quote to represent the memory each one evoked, all inscribed in a booklet he'd had made specially. They'd popped the CD into the stereo and the four friends spent the remaining hours until sun-up dancing around the pool to the soundtrack of their friendship.

_And then it was gone_

The following Christmas, there was no renewal of friendship bracelet traditions, no blow up palm tree covered in twinkle lights, no midnight gift exchanges on the beach. Lilly was dead. Duncan was empty. Logan was vicious. Veronica was alone.

_Present day_

In the Mars Investigations office, Veronica struggles to hide the sting of the memories racing through her head and glances down at the tabloid in her hands. Carefully, so her voice doesn't waiver, she replies, "I'll stop braiding."


End file.
